Lt. Sheryl Boykins, Hayward Police Department, was presented with the 2010 Hayward Area Recreation and Park District's (HARD) 2010 Annual Board of Directors' Individual Award at a luncheon at Mt. Eden Mansion on January 28.

In 1962, the Board of Directors established an Annual Awards policy to recognize individuals and organizations that voluntarily assist HARD in its mission to provide high quality leisure facilities and programs to its residents.

The Awards Committee, consisting of HARD Directors Minane Jameson and Carol Pereira and staff members, Kerrilyn Ely and John Gouveia, reviewed the nominations for 2010 and announced the winners in mid-January.

Boykins was nominated by Lt. Reid Lindblom, Hayward PD, for her commitment toward community service and specifically, for her role as "Commissioner" of the Junior Giants Baseball Program which now touches more than 300 of our community's youth many of whom cannot afford to participate in any type of fee-based sports program. The Program is supervised by other officers and volunteers, who serve as coaches, and by students from each of the four high schools, who act as assistant coaches. Boykins recruited them all. The high school students' involvement gives the Program credibility with the youth participants and allows friendship and mentoring to develop between the children, their older peers and the officers.

Boykins is the heart and soul of this Program. She dedicates not only herself but hundreds of hours of her own time to make it successful. Anyone who has met her also knows her commitment goes far beyond this Program. She truly loves and cares about Hayward and is an inspiration to others who also want to make a difference.

"When a city has leadership and organizations that set the example, it's so much easier for people to follow suit and give back to their communities. I'd like to thank Mayor Sweeney, Police Chief Ron Ace, Capt. Darryl McAllister and Lt. Reid Lindblom for inspiring me to do the things that I do," Boykins says appreciatively.

For more information about the Junior Giants Baseball League in Hayward, contact Sheryl Boykins at sheryl.boykins@hayward-ca.gov. To find a Junior Giants league in your area, visit http://mlb.mlb.com/sf/community/gcf/leagues.jsp. For more about HARD, visit www.HaywardRec.org